Old Habits Die Hard
by Phantom Quill
Summary: A 19 year old group of Marauders go to James Potter's stag night. Apart from the Pettigrew story line running in the background, Remus meets up with a certain lady he hasn't seen in years...


Old Habits Die Hard A 19 year old group of Marauders go to James Potter's stag night. Apart from the Pettigrew story line running in the background, Remus meets up with a certain lady he hasn't seen in years...  


* * *

**7:30 p.m.**  
********  
"Oh Sirius! You dozy git! Of all the wedding presents to get me, you buy a bloody Puffskein!"   
James was unwrapping early wedding presents in the function room of the Leaky Cauldron. The room was all set for his stag night and the Marauders had started drinking early. All except Remus. He had only just returned from his transformation the night before and was admittedly exhausted. But this was James's stag night, he wouldn't miss it for the world.  
Sirius was laughing as James threw the tiny, custard coloured ball of fluff at him. "Well," said Sirius, catching it, "I thought it might come in handy, what with it being good for children and all..."  
James threw something else at Sirius, this time a very heavy book that found it's target, hitting Sirius smack in the face. He stumbled for a moment before dropping the Puffskein to the ground and laughing loudly. Sirius had an odd fixation that Lily might be pregnant, for the very reason that James had never once contemplated or discussed getting married all the time they had known him.  
Nevertheless, the Marauders joked and discussed all the other presents James had opened. He had, of course, only the opened the ones that weren't charmed to explode if opened before the wedding. And, naturally, Lily had no idea he was doing so.  
  
**8:25 p.m.**  
********  
The party was in full swing. Remus sat at the bar, he had decided to down a few glasses of Firewhisky for pure courage. Sirius had been hinting all day that he had set up something _very special_ for the occasion. Remus had a nasty suspicion that it either involved setting Remus up with one of his friends or tricking James into spending the night with a stripper. Remus was worried. He downed another Firewhisky in a single gulp.  
The rest of the Marauders were sitting in a corner talking calmly and quietly.  
  
**8:27 p.m.**  
********  
"So, Peter, what I'm trying to say is... Will you be our secret keeper?" James was half drunk, but he knew what he was doing.  
Peter nodded furiously. He understood the situation perfectly. Sirius was too obvious. If James and Lily were to continue their work for Dumbledore and the Order, they would need to be safe in their new home. "_But they aren't safe, my master will know of this... When he is ready to destroy them, he will do so..._"  
Sirius watched carefully. He would never have broken the secret of the Fidelius Charm unless he was tortured to death. But James didn't want that to happen; he didn't want Sirius to face that torture...  
  
**9:00 p.m.**  
********  
Sure enough, Sirius had invited some, ahem, _dancers_ to the party. Remus had managed to escape the party to the cool autumn breeze on the balcony.   
He didn't notice a lady of his own age gazing into the night sky nearby. She stopped gazing and turned toward him.  
  
"Remus?" She asked, a curious expression on her face.  
Remus turned and was shocked by the wonderfully familiar young lady who had called him.  
"Cara." He said coolly.  
"You remember me then?" She questioned jokingly, breaking out into a warm smile.  
"I never forget a face, especially one as beautiful as yours..." He replied, his smile never faltering. She blushed, a lot. "How was Durmstrang?" He asked for the sake of changing the subject. Seeing her blush at his compliment made his ears burn red, it always had.  
"Fine, no problems. Had a good year there..." She mused, gazing back out to the night sky.  
"Miss me?" Remus asked.  
Cara turned back smiling widely. She leaned close to him and whispered into his ear.  
"_Always..._" She replied. She kissed his cheek and pulled away, heading back into the Leaky Cauldron. Remus realized she must have been invited to James's party.  
  
"Who sent you the invite Caz?" He called after her.  
"Sirius!" She called back without turning around. "Who else?"  
  
Remus grinned widely and rolled his eyes. "_I'm going to kill you Sirius..._" He mused as he headed back to the party...  


* * *

_Hope you liked Chapter One! This is going to become a Romance after a while, however brief it may be... Ah well..._  



End file.
